Broken Crown
by xintothefire
Summary: Corey left Charming eight years previous because she thought the town was poisonous. Little did she know, she had her own demons to fight that didn't include Charming or SAMCRO. Now twenty-seven and running from a past even darker than she knows, Charming is the only place she belongs. (Jax/OC)
1. Chapter 1

It had been eight years since Corey Abernathy stepped foot back onto Charming territory.

Much to her amusement and dissatisfaction, the town had hardly changed since her departure.

She had been driving all day; if it wasn't for the sun that was steadily settling below the horizon, she wouldn't have realized how many hours she had spent on the road. Her body was aching from being stationary for such a long period of time but she was annoyingly persistent on driving until she made it into town borders.

The female slid her sunglasses toward the top of her head, pulling the stray dark strands away from her face. She wasn't even within Charming city limits for longer than three minutes when the distinct sound of a motorcycle engine revved somewhere a few streets over.

Her gaze flickered down to her gas gauge. A small groan escaped her upon realizing the meter of her Ford Fusion was riding on empty. She pulled into the gas station that was only a block down the road, pleasantly charmed when she didn't have to wait in a line.

The moment Corabelle slid out of her car, both her legs and her back screamed in protest. "Jesus Chris," she murmured under her breath, rolling her shoulders in attempt to ease the tension that resided there. Hastily, she pulled the gas pump and pushed the nozzle into the tank. As much as she hated to admit it, she was getting low on cash and was only able to fill her tank up a quarter of the way, if lucky. She had plenty of cash stored away in her savings account but she was hoping to prolong touching it as long as she could. She didn't need anyone knowing her whereabouts.

While her gas was filling, the raven haired female traveled into the small convenient store attached to the station. The attendant perked his head up at her arrival, eyes clearly lingering on her retreating form. Corabelle was by no means an unattractive female – she was tall and leggy, but still had curves in places that were considered desirable. She was quick to ignore the attention and instead focused her energy on picking up a bottle of tea from one of the back coolers and a granola bar from one of the small isles. She had only been traveling for a day or so, but felt as though she hadn't eaten in weeks. The moment she wandered back toward the front desk and set her items on the counter, her gaze finally flickered up to meet the man's.

"Holy shit… Corey?" His voice was laced with a grin. Corabelle's eyebrows furrowed together, trying to place his face with where she had seen him before. "Jesse… Jesse Mckibbon" he finally clarified for her, seemingly wounded that she hadn't recognized him immediately.

"Jesse… right" Corey nodded toward him, feigning a small, friendly smile in return. Jess Mckibbon was a looker in his prime. Ten years ago, when she had only been seventeen, Corey and Jesse had hooked up on occasion. It was always expected that he'd make something out of his life, but by the look of him he had been a gas station attendant for far longer than he would've liked. Her eyes tried not to linger too long on the beer belly and unkempt five o'clock shadow he was sporting. Jesse didn't seem to notice her stare and instead leaned closer in her direction, stationing his weight on his elbows.

"You look real good, you know that?"

Corey's eyes widened and she nodded slowly, clearly uncomfortable.

"Say - what're you doing back home? Didn't you leave for some big city or some shit?"

"Something like that, but I guess I couldn't stay away. Charming has that lure."

"Gotta say, I like the looks of you around here again" Jesse continued, oblivious to the ways Corey was more than unenthused with the conversation. He slid her tea and granola across the counter toward her. "Go ahead, they're on me. Your gas too" he offered with a smirk. In no position to pass up free anything, Corey simply tossed him what she hoped was a flirty smile in return, before grabbing her things and dashing back toward her vehicle.

She hit the road once more, driving closer into the depths of town before realizing she had no real destination in mind. Her cell phone, which had been long abandoned in the bottom of her purse, was her only savior and she realized this quickly. Before the female could comprehend it, she was swerving through back roads.

The moment she pulled in front of a hauntingly familiar one story house she allowed her car to idle. Her fingers were numb as she scrolled through her contacts. Upon realizing she had deleted all of her Charming contacts after leaving town, she cursed under her breath. Her head lifted toward the house, bangs tumbling into her eyes.

If it had been years earlier, or even decades earlier, Corey knew that Jackson would have been the first person she would go to upon her arrival. But now, eight years later, after both of them burned the remainder of their bridges, this wasn't an option anymore.

She realized then that she only had two options: either she find the balls to go up and knock on the door, or she bow out and forget ever stopping by in the first place. As tempting as the latter was, the brunette found herself throwing her car in park and reaching for her handle before she could comprehend it.

Corey was always steadfast in her actions. This was both a blessing and a curse on her end. She knew what needed to be done and did whatever she could in her power to make that happen. She was the type of girl to be either one hundred percent in, or a hundred percent out – there was no happy medium.

"Fuck," the curse left her lips before she could filter it.

With her car, which was currently housing every possession she could bring with her, left near the sidewalk, she knew she couldn't turn back now. Where would she go, anyway? Maybe live in some shady motel up in Oregon for a few weeks before getting a fake ID and starting a new life somewhere?

She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about that option. But realistically, she was in her late twenties. She wasn't an eighteen year old anymore, who could throw caution to the wind whenever she felt like it.

Corabelle took the final few steps that closed the distance between her and the front porch. Hesitantly at first, and then without thought, she pounded on the door. There was no movement inside the old house even as she listened closely. If she hadn't seen his bike parked around the side of the yard she would have considered continuing on her merry way.

"Open the goddamn door, Filip" she murmured, mostly to herself than anything. He wouldn't have heard her over her continuous strikes anyway. Her knuckles were burning relentlessly as she continued to assault the old mahogany.

Corey stood there and glared at the door, her breathing labored. The feeling of being unwelcome back in charming began to loom over her. Hell, if she wasn't welcome back home, where was she welcome?

She took a moment to run her fingers through her tangled locks and think about what he next move would be. Chibs was the only person she felt safe going to for help. She knew the others would be tentative to let her back in again after her disappearance.

With an irritated bite of her lower lip, she turned and stormed down the porch.

As if waiting for her to move, the door behind her opened swiftly. She turned in the darkness and met a pair of wise, dark eyes. He was turned at an angle and reaching behind his back. It didn't take her long to realize that he was reaching for the gun he kept on the holster under his kutte.

"Filip," she acknowledged out loud, his name suddenly sounding very foreign.

He narrowed his eyes in the young girl's direction, trying to find recognition. She switched her weight between her feet.

"Cora," he responded. Her name was equally foreign in his thick accent. For a moment he just stared at her. The heavy gaze was teetering on uncomfortable when he finally reached forward to push open the screen door.

It was the beginning of summer and heat had surrounded the small, California town like a tent. The air, even given the late hour, was dense with humidity. In the distance the faint sound of laughter and sprinkles could be heard. It was all very much contrasting against their current situation.

Finally, Chibs smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. No matter the distance, she could still make out the puckering of his scars.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. There was a gruffness to his voice that deceived his smile. She took it with a grain of salt though, choosing to ignore it rather than face the possible meaning behind his tone.

"What, a girl can't come pay her uncle a visit without there behind some hidden connotation?" she quipped back with a small smirk. He laughed shortly and shook his head.

It became obvious then that no, she couldn't.

"I'm coming home, Filip" she answered after an immeasurable amount of silence past between them. Crickets chirped somewhere in the distance. The Irish man gazed at the young female for a while then, contemplating if she was telling the truth. "I'm coming home" Corey repeated when he didn't reply.

Finally, he began to nod his head slowly. "Okay" he accepted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Does the club know you're here?"

Corabelle opened her mouth to respond but ended up snapping it shut.

"You think they won't approve" he concluded, eyebrows rising for clarification. It was Corey's turn to nod.

"I was planning on stopping by Teller-Morrow tomorrow. I figure nobody is going to be quick at throwing me a welcome back party."

"Can you blame them?" the gruffness returned.

Corey left in a haste eight years ago. She was nineteen and thought the entire town she grew up in was poison. After her parent's deaths, she thought that her only tangible ties to the town had turned to dust. Little did she know, she was leaving behind the only form of family she'd have. When she left, she took off in the middle of the night with nothing but the insurance money she had received from her father's death. Corey didn't tell anyone where she was until a few weeks after her disappearance. She had called Aunt Gemma and told her she was safe, and needed an out. Aside from sending holiday cards and getting sparse calls on her birthday, she hadn't had any real connection with any of the club since.

Chibs eyes softened. He knew what she had been thinking about. He had known Corabelle since her birth twenty-seven years previous. He was best mates with her late father and had been in the hospital, along with the other original nine that day. He knew he well enough to know she was torturing herself about it all.

"You need a place to stay, yeah?" Chibs uncrossed his arms and took a few steps toward her, as if throwing up a white flag. The corners of her lips tugged up into a half-smile in response.

"My car hasn't made for the most comfortable bed lately."

"Well. Let's go then." He nodded back toward back to the house and her smile widened involuntarily. Relief began washing over her. She knew she was going to be grilled but she hoped that Chibs had enough mercy to let that wait until later.

Her keys were still in her hand and she turned enough to lock the doors behind her. Nobody was ignorant enough to break into a car that was parked in the drive of a patched-in SAMCRO member, so she didn't bother taking anything with her. At that moment, that pent up fatigue worked its way through her body. All she needed was a couch and she was set until she could figure all the rest of her shit out.

She knew very well that the following day would be rough.

She had no idea how everybody else was going to take her sudden reappearance, but she hoped that it would be better than they took her departure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so first off: this is my first SoA series. Secondly, It's been ages since I wrote fanfic, so please bare with me through the first few chapters. The plot will progressively get thicker and will move quicker, I promise. I don't have a beta at the moment either. **

**And obviously, I don't own any characters or actors from Sons of Anarchy. If I did, I highly doubt I'd be writing fanfiction about them. That being said, I only hold claim to my own OCs and storylines. **

* * *

_"Put your goddamn hands in the air!"_

_Eyes fluttered toward the entrance of the bank and all at once murmurs erupted. Two men, faces concealed with black ski masks, made their way toward the front tellers. Some of the customers in the bustling bank stilled, faces white with fear, while others exploded in a panic. It was funny how fear can affect people so differently. _

_"This is how this is going to work – nobody fucking moves, you got that?" _

_The tellers that were sheltered behind the thick glass windows were simultaneously deer in headlights. Of course, they were taught the dangers of robberies during their training, but none of them ever assumed to have to handle one during their nine to five jobs. _

_One of the masked men took off toward the front of the building, while the other trailed along to the side toward the rows of desks. A specific dark hair woman who was talking to a teller about opening an account stopped dead in her tracks._

_"Everybody on the fucking ground," he shouted toward the bustling room. A few dropped immediately but it took most a few seconds to register his command. "Now!" _

_The woman, along with the rest of the others, dropped to the carpet. She remembered the burn of the rug beneath her bare knees. _

_Like clockwork, the man with the handgun nodded in her direction. She paused momentarily, too terrified to look up at him. Once she did, he smirked and jutted his chin toward her. _

_"You. Get the hell up." _

The following morning when Corey awoke, it took her more than a few moments to register where she was. She was in a guest bedroom, no doubt one that hadn't been used in years. She assumed that it had either last been occupied by Fiona or Kerrianne upon their last visit, however long ago that was.

The mattress was stiff underneath her body, making it difficult to rise. Given the sun that was flittering through the blinds it couldn't have been any earlier than eight o'clock. Corabelle had spent the following night having the previous eight years of her life investigated, and Chibs was nowhere close to uncovering even an ounce of the truth.

She felt bad keeping so much from him. After her father's death, Fillip was the first one to step up and take her in as his own kin. For that, she owed him more than she could even begin to put into words.

With her hair in a messy topknot and wearing some of Chibs' old SAMCRO threads, Corey wandered to the kitchen. She still maneuvered herself around the house as easily as if she had never left at all. She set a pot of coffee and raided his fridge for bacon and eggs. The least she could do was make the man breakfast.

Not even twenty minutes after she ambled her way into the kitchen, Chibs was following her. He was already dressed for the day, his kutte hanging off his shoulders.

"Morning" he offered her with a small grunt, his eyes lingering on the meat that was sizzling up in a frying pan. Corey smiled and poured herself another cup of coffee. She had to be well caffeinated if she was planning to face the wrath of Gemma Teller-Morrow.

"Hope you don't mind too much. I just figured I kind of owe you one. Don't know what I would've done last night if you didn't let me stay here."

All was quiet for a moment as Chibs stole the pot from her hands to pour himself a mug. "No need to do that, Cor" he paused and raised the cup to his mouth. As he did, she absentmindedly let her eyes wander to his greying goatee. Her eight years of absence seemed palpable. "We both know I would've let you stay here even if you murdered a man."

Her breath hitched in her throat but she laughed dryly. His eyes seemed intent on her for longer than necessary, as if assessing her as she picked the bacon on the pan and put it onto a plate. She flopped a couple fried eggs out from the pan and offered the plate over to him, as if a peace offering. He couldn't help but chuckle at the gesture and take it with gratitude.

"So. Does this mean you're back for good or is it just a pit stop?"

Corey shook her head with a slight sigh. "I don't know, to be honest. I'd like it to be for good but figuring out a place to stay is going to be a bitch and God only knows if I'm even wanted back around these parts, anymore." She picked the crust off of a piece of toast and kicked it to the side of her plate.

"Don't worry about the others. They'll get over it as soon as they realize that you're home safe."

"Gemma hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Cora. She's pissed off at you, just as she has every right to be. There's a vast difference."

"Not in Gem's book," she paused and perked an eyebrow. Chibs chuckled again.

"Well you're a grown woman now. You'll figure out how to handle Gemma."

The two were quiet as they ate the remainder of their breakfasts. Corey finished quicker than Chibs, not having eaten a meal the day previous.

"Tell me something, yeah?" Chibs broke the silence as Corey rinsed off their dishes and loaded them into the washer.

"Hmm?" she hummed in response, vacantly anxious about what he was going to inquire. She focused on the task at hand, choosing to wipe down his counters to partially ignore his intense stare. He could see straight through her and she was hyper aware of it.

"You said that you had just gotten out of a relationship when you decided to come here," there was a pause that was obviously intentional. She simply turned to look at him as if asking him to continue. "Just making sure nobody is going to come into town looking for you. I need to know who to give the heads up."

Corey cracked a hint of a smile and shook her head. She and Ben had a fucked up relationship. It was toxic and at times unbearable, but they loved one another. She knew that he'd know better than to come looking for her where she grew up. He may not have known the extent of SAMCRO, but he knew the bare minimum about the MC; he wasn't idiotic enough to stir that pot.

"Ben isn't going to come to Charming" she concluded. Chibs simply nodded once in response, seemingly pleased enough with the answer and not wanting to know any more at the time being either.

Being that Chibs was rarely home there wasn't much more for her to clean in the quaint kitchen. Corey had a bad habit of being domestic whenever she had a lot on her mind. Whether it was organizing, cleaning, or baking, she liked to keep her hands busy to distract herself from whatever underlying issue she was avoiding. The brunette was preoccupied thinking about what her first day back in Charming would bring with Chibs cleared his throat to catch her attention. Her green eyes flashed up to meet his. "I'm heading out to the clubhouse. We've got a few runs to make today. Feel free to make your presence known whenever you decide my house is clean enough for your liking."

Corey rolled her eyes at his sarcastic quip. Somehow his sarcasm was made even richer by his accent. His accent reminded her of a lot of things – reminded her of home, and her childhood, and her father. Her father was Scottish as well. Thomas Abernathy had been a member of the Belfast charter. He had flown to California to work out a nick in a gun trade when he met Corabelle's mother. Corey's mother grew up in Charming and knew enough about SAMCRO to know that she wanted to stay away from it. It wasn't until the two met that she completely changed her mind for him. He made her mother, Elizabeth, his old lady and eventually got a transfer to the California charter after she learned she was pregnant with their baby girl. That was twenty eight years ago.

It wasn't until the rev of Chibs' motorcycle broke her from her trance that she realized she had dazed out for more than a few minutes. With a small shake of her head she made her way outside and toward her parked car. Almost everything she owned was still packed tight into the poor thing, and she worked for a good half hour unloading some of it into his guest bedroom. She had no doubt that he didn't mind her staying with him until she got her head on straight. To be honest, she knew he preferred not to be alone anyway.

Once her car was unpacked enough for her to have a sufficient amount of breathing room, Corey dug out her toiletries and jumped in the shower. She allowed the hot water to wash over her for longer than necessary before turning the faucet off.

Instead of dragging her straightener or curling iron out of wherever it was packed Corey opted to let her dark hair air dry. She was blessed with her mother's long, thick hair and was entirely grateful for it. While the warm summer air succeeded in drying the wavy strands, she got dressed in a pair of denim cut offs and a loose white tee shirt that exposed only a sliver of skin. Corabelle had an eye for staying on top of trends, but found herself much too laid back to bother getting completely dolled up on a daily basis. There was too much effort involved.

Her hair was nearly dry by the time she decided to leave. She slipped her feet into a pair of worn combat boots and grabbed her purse before she left the house. Using a spare key that was not so greatly hidden by the only potted plant on his front porch, Corey locked up behind her.

The drive to Teller-Morrow was still perfectly etched into her mind. It took almost zero effort to find her way there. Most of her turns through the small town were absolutely subconscious. In fact, the brunette had hardly realized she had made it to her destination until her car was idling in the parking lot.

Her window was rolled down to allow some fresh air to filter in. A dark haired man leaned into the window, placing his forearms on the sill for support. A rag was sticking out of his back pocket. If she didn't know any better, it was almost as if their cover as a legit business was successful.

"What can I do you for?"

Corey nearly jumped, startled by the man. With one look she knew he recognized her.

"Jeez, Tig. You're still scaring the shit out of me." She placed a hand over her chest where her heart beat was accelerating.

"Cora girl! What the fuck are you doing here?" Tig backed away from her car so she could cut the engine and open the door. "Everyone else know you're here?"

She barely pushed her sunglasses atop her head and made her way out of the cab of the car when he was pulling her in for a hug. She couldn't help but laugh as she inhaled the scent of cigarette smoke and motor oil.

"Nope, just Chibs" she replied as he pulled away enough just to look at her. He whistled lowly and shook his head.

"Better put those legs away, Cora girl. We don't want any dipshits getting any smart ideas."

Once again, her laugh was involuntary. "Guess it's a good thing I'm not seventeen anymore."

From across the lot by the bikes, she could see as Opie, Jax, Clay, and Piney watched their interactions, hands shielding their eyes from the sun. It was obvious they hadn't pieced things together quite yet. To help speed the process up, she walked with Tig by her side in their direction.

It was Clay who recognized her first. "Well, I'll be damned" he shouted, a grin breaking out across his face. Obviously aside from now having the curves of an adult woman, she still looked the same – or at least similar enough for them to noticed her almost instantly. Same dark hair, same bright smile, same sharp eyes, same electric energy.

Opie noticed second, which didn't surprise her. Opie had been her best friend growing up; she'd be offended if he didn't. In a few large steps he helped close the distance between them and scooped her into a bear hug so tight that it knocked the breath out of her. When he pulled back he didn't speak but instead flashed her a smile. She laughed in response and resisted giving his ponytail a little tug. His hair had been cropped when she left eight years previous, and now it was nearly as long as hers.

Clay clapped a hand onto his broad shoulder, separating them enough so that he could get a hug in too, and Piney did the same after him. It wasn't until her short embrace with Piney ended that she realized Jax had disappeared. Her gaze faltered around the lot, searching for his mop of blonde hair but she came short.

"Look what the cat dragged in" Tig exclaimed with a smirk, placing a hand onto Corey's shoulder. She was a bit overwhelmed with their positive reactions. She was expecting much worse.

"What, we don't even get a phone call anymore?"

Corey's body stilled at the feminine voice that rang clear through her ears. She realized then that she thought entirely too soon.

"Gemma," she started, turning around the face the woman behind her. Gemma had an eyebrow arched and a hip cocked, most of her weight settling onto one killer black stiletto. It was funny, Corey was such a kickass girl. She wasn't afraid to stand up for those she loved or what she believe in, but it front of Gemma she felt like a twelve year old girl all over again, preparing herself for a scolding.

"Not right now," Gemma started, her tone stern. Corey worked to keep her head up. Everyone aside from Clay backed away from the scene, obviously tensing the possibility for there to be unwanted drama. "We're not going to do apologies and explanations right now, Corey. Right now, you're going to get your skinny ass over her and give me a hug. Then you're going to come with me to get lunch for the guys, and on the ride there you're going to tell me everything. Got that?"

With a ghost of a smile, Corey nodded in agreement. She knew she wasn't about to tell Gemma everything, but she wasn't going to admit that when Gemma was throwing up a surrender either.

As Gemma pulled Corey into an embrace, the younger brunette couldn't help but bury her face into her shoulder. Given the past ten minutes, she wasn't sure how she had managed to stay away from her family and from Charming for so long.

Faintly and distantly, the low grumble of a bike could be heard a few blocks away. She knew instantly, as if it was some weird instinct, that it was Jax.

Suddenly it became a lot clearer why she had, in fact, managed to keep her distance.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you to all those who have reviewed/favorited/followed! I really appreciate it.  
**

**Just a heads up to those who are curious, timeline wise this story takes place just before the whole, Jax and Wendy situation. Therefor, Abel does not exist in this storyline, and at the time being Tara is still in Chicago. Jax is twenty-eight and Corey is twenty-seven. Some heavy information was dropped during this chapter, but it will all be expanded on within the series. **

**Also, though I failed to apologize in the previous author's note, I fail epically at writing accents. Therefor, you will have to use your imagination when it comes to most of Chibs' dialogue. Sorry for that!**

* * *

The car ride with Gemma was almost as tense as Corey assumed it would be. It was spent mostly with Corey fidgeting with the radio and Gemma tossing her small glares and curious glances. They had driven to a small burger joint that was a few blocks from the clubhouse and placed an order that was most definitely large enough to feed a small army. When Corey arched an eyebrow at the food order Gemma cracked a smile and told her that they were expanding, and had a few more prospects than usual and that she was feeling unusually kind enough to feed them.

As soon as the women placed their order, they wondered to a small booth were they waited.

Once Gemma was settled she crossed her legs and placed her forearms on the booth, leaning toward the younger female. She spent a few minutes taking her in.

Corey's hair had grown out since she had last been home, falling nearly to her small waistline. Her face had grown more mature and angular, while her hips and chest had widened. She really had grown into being a gorgeous young woman. Corey reminded Gemma so much of her mother that it scared her. She knew Corey was different from the others since the day she was born. While she was flowed so ideally with club life, it was only obvious that she'd grow to wonder what life outside of SAMCRO had to offer.

"You gonna tell me why you felt the need to keep your distance from us all, or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"I just needed a fresh start. I needed something that I thought Charming couldn't give me." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't anywhere near the full truth.

Gemma pursed her lips, as if debating if Corey's shit answer was good enough. Clearly, it wasn't. Corey was lying and she was seconds away from seeing straight through it.

The true reason behind her choosing to leave Charming was a very messy one that only few people knew bits and pieces of. After graduating high school, when Jax and Tara were on the outs, he and Corey had their fun. Their hook up got a little more serious than anyone was thinking it would and when Tara found out she went crazy. Tara had always been leary of her boyfriend's relationship with his best friend, and couldn't handle the thought of Corey getting even closer to Jackson.

Even though it seemed like Tara had Jax wrapped around her pretty little finger, Corey was the one woman who could successfully compete for his attention.

Corabelle and Jackson had been best friends growing up. Being so close in age, with Jax being only a year older, they were often pushed together. Whenever the club was on lockdown, the two children found their own ways to have fun in the clubhouse. Whenever shit was going down with a gun run that included all the men at their best, Gemma would watch the two of them. Her mother's death affected the club in a very strange way that even Corey didn't understand. Her father struggled to raise her alone and the others were never hesitant to step in and lend a hand. For whatever reason, somewhere along the way they two grew a bond that neither of them saw coming.

Opie, Jax, and Corey were all close. But it was Jax and Corey that had an emotional connection beyond their playful flirtation and sarcastic quips.

It was when Tara found out that things started to shift for Corey.

The night Corey left Charming Tara had come to her. After spending the night with Jax, Corey slipped out of the clubhouse to go home. She rarely spent time there after her father passed, finding the home too full of empty memories that haunted her, but she didn't feel like spending a third night in Jax's dorm. She was in dire need of clean clothes and a thorough shower.

Tara was there, waiting for her by her car. Corey approached cautiously, not knowing where Tara's head was at but still in no means hesitant to put her in her place if it came down to it. Tara was enraged and in tears, blubbering about how her and Jax were getting back together. Even if Corey knew it wasn't likely, the words scared her. They didn't frighten her quite enough, and it wasn't until she slipped into her car and started it up that Tara shouted something through the glass that caught her attention.

Apparently pillow talk was a bit different for the women of SAMCRO.

Tara spilled everything that Jax had idiotically told her about Corey's parent's death – neither were accidents.

She was told when she lost her mom at eight years old, that it had happened in a car accident. In reality, her death had been a hit from the Mayans. Corey was told that her father died going on a run that went south. What she didn't know however, was that it was a suicide mission. He couldn't deal with the loss of his wife and raising his young daughter in the club anymore, and felt he needed to avenge her in some small way.

As much as Corey didn't want to believe Tara, something about the words seemed so true. It clicked very quickly then. His death was no accident, and neither was her mother's.

As soon as Corey learned this she was out. Faster than she could comprehend, she was flying home and throwing her clothes haphazardly into duffle bags. She wanted nothing to do with the club, or with the family that was keeping so much from her. Uncle Chibs had betrayed her, Aunt Gemma had betrayed her, Opie had betrayed her, and worst of all – Jax betrayed her.

Choosing to come back was much more difficult than it was choosing to leave.

"I'm still failing to understand why you had to take off in the middle of the goddamn night without telling any of us in advance. You know, Jax thought something really serious happened. About scared the shit out of him, and you know that isn't an easy task."

Something about hearing Jax's name brought out in casual conversation made Corey feel wounded. "Sure didn't seem that way. I never even got so much as a phone call from him after I left."

"A phone works both ways, baby. That boy was devastated."

A fry cook nodded and called their order number, causing Gemma to avert her gaze from Corey and work her way up to the counter to pay. Corey felt stuck there in that booth, in the same diner that her, Opie, and Jax had gone to so many times when they were young. That portion of her life seemed like it was lifetimes ago.

It took Gemma's heels smacking against the old linoleum to catch her attention. Her head snapped up, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders.

"Oh, uhm, sorry."

She straightened her legs in from of her and slid out from the booth, holding a hand out to grab some of the bags that Gemma was struggling to.

Together, they stuffed the food order into her trunk.

"Can I ask you something?" Corey asked, squinting from the sun as she lifted her face to Gemma.

"I guess that's fair." The dark haired woman replied as she skimmed the trunk shut behind them.

"Jax…" Corey had to stop. His name echoed as it left her lips. He hadn't spoken about him in such a long time, though she thought about him nearly every day. "How's he doing?"

When they were back in the car Gemma slid the keys into the ignition and tossed Corey a knowing look. She'd be a foolish mother to not know the two had something that was much stronger than Jax had ever had with another female.

"He's not seeing anyone, if that's what you're asking."

"That's not what I was asking" she clarified with a roll of her light eyes. Secretly, although she'd never admit it to herself let alone anyone else, part of her was relieved. The tiniest part of her wished that she could once hold him again and forget that the past near decade didn't happen. But then her anger returned and everything got messy all over again.

Her closest was brimming with skeletons that were threatening to spill over at any time, and he was an outlaw with a past that she knew was just as dark.

Gemma hummed and arched an eyebrow, clearly not believing her. Nonetheless, she let the conversation slide for the rest of the drive to the Teller-Morrow lot. As soon as the Cadillac was pulling back toward the garage, the two females hopped up and levied the food to a picnic table outside.

The summer heat was at its peak. Tig and Opie were the first to join the woman, both wiping sweat from their brows. A few of the prospects came and got their food before sneaking off to go back to whatever it was they were doing. Corey tested the waters with Gemma and took a seat at the table, swinging one of her legs in so she was straddling the bench portion.

She watched as Gemma smirked before tossing her a burger.

"Any idea what you'll be doing now that you're back?"

To be honest, Corey didn't know what the hell she'd be doing an hour from then. Most of her life had been a sort series of spontaneity. She had plenty of cash in her bank account. Some of it was left form her inheritance, the rest was something she didn't want to bring up just yet. She hoped to maybe get an apartment and part time job to keep her occupied, but apart from that she was at a gripping loss.

The brunette opened the white wrapper to her burger which was soaked through with grease. "No idea, Aunt Gem."

Clay came by and grabbed a burger from one of the sacks and kissed Gemma's cheek, before murmuring something that sounded an awful lot like: "She just got here, baby. Don't scare her away so soon." His words made his wife roll her eyes.

When the others cleared after lunch, about a half hour later, Gemma took a seat across from Corey and leaned in close. She crossed her forearms on the table and narrowed her eyes as she watched her.

"Baby, it may have been a while since you've been home, but I'm no idiot. I know there's something going on in that pretty little head that you're not telling me, but I'm going to let that slide right now as long as you promise me that you're not in any sort of trouble. I need to know what I should be prepared to deal with."

For the first time since she saw her, Corey looked at Gemma closely. A sliver of a sigh escaped her but her eyes were intense. "I promise you, I'm fine. Some shit went down a few months ago but I'm okay now. I'm not running from anything, and nothing is going to come chasing me here," she paused and took and toyed with the bottle of water in front of her. "besides, we both know I'm pretty capable of handling my own. You taught me best."

Her words were followed by an immeasurable amount of silence. After a moment, Gemma simply smirked and grabbed a hold of Corey's hand, which was lying on the table across from hers.

"Okay."

Just like that and as simple as one word, things felt like they would truly be okay - even if that stability only were to last a few moments.


End file.
